Many liquid or semi-liquid foods, such as sauces and soups for example, should be stirred during the cooking process to assure even heating, to intermix ingredients and to avoid overheating of the food at the bottom of the pot or the like. Such mixing can inhibit scorching or the formation of a thickened adhesive residue on the bottom of the pot and thereby simplify subsequent cleaning operations in addition to enhancing the quality of the cooked food.
These objectives are more effectively realized if the stirring is thorough and continuous but this is often not practical if the stirring must be done manually. Cooks or other kitchen helpers usually have a number of different operations to perform in the course of preparing food and can attend to stirring only intermittantly. Further, manual stirring with a spoon or the like does not intermix and circulate the contents of a pot to the extent that is most desirable for the above discussed purposes.
Continuous and vigorous stirring of the contents of a container can also be advantageous in operations other than cooking. The mixing of paints or liquid constituents of a variety of other chemical formulations are examples.
Motor driven stirring devices have heretofore been devised to provide for continuous stirring but have constructions which are not optimally suited for the purpose.
Prior motorized stirrers typically have a drive motor which is supported above the center of the pot by a number of support arms which overlap the rim of the pot. The motor turns a shaft which extends down into the contents of the pot and which carries one or more stirring blades.
The coventional configuration complicates cleaning and other maintenance of the apparatus and can accelerate deterioration of components such as the motor. A motor and other components situated immediately above the contents of the container can be subjected to spattering, rising vapors and high heat in instances where cooking is taking place. Residues can rapidly accumulate on such components and adversely affect the operation of the motor, bearings, gears and other components.
Some prior stirrers have a housing which encases the motor but this does not fully resolve the problems. It is usually not practical to provide a completely sealed housing and thus contamination can still reach sensitive components. The housing then complicates access to such components for clean-up. Cooling of electrical motors is usually dependent on air circulation and enclosure of such a motor in a nearly air tight housing can contribute to overheating, particular in the already hot environment above a cooking pot or the like.
Prior motorized stirrers typically rest on the rim of the pot or the like although in some instances clips or other engagement means are provided to aid in holding the stirring apparatus in place. These do not in general provide a desirably positive securing of the apparatus to the pot. Consequently, the stirring apparatus can easily be displaced during operation and chattering and a high level of noise can occur.
Further, the stirring blade configurations found on prior motorized stirrers do not directly displace the contents of the pot or the like as the blades revolve to the extent that would be most desirable for many purposes such as during the cooking of sauces. Such blades typically bear directly against only a limited part of the liquid in the pot and stirring of other regions of the liquid is at best indirect.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.